


Cowardly Lion or Self-Preserving Snake

by Darkness and Chocolate (Dark_Chocolate_Lover_Rien_Meilleur)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 18:23:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17730299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Chocolate_Lover_Rien_Meilleur/pseuds/Darkness%20and%20Chocolate
Summary: James loves Lily and Harry. And he must make a decision to prove it to himself. AU. #australia a bit cracky. OOC characters. Baby Harry. Everybody not in Slytherin is Slytherin. #lord Potter. kinda a parody? also featuring the potter house in australia





	Cowardly Lion or Self-Preserving Snake

**Author's Note:**

> um... this was also on fanfiction under the same title but a different name. (Joy Hazel Anderson)

**Cowardly Lion or Self-Preserving Snake**

 

 

 

It was a very simple equation, really.

_James Potter plus years of proving himself to Lily Evans plus only a few months of marriage plus a Prophecy about their new baby minus the feeling of safety his house used to give him whenever his friends were around (except Sirius who was his brother) equaled a one-way trip to Australia with all his family and all his worldly possessions._

James had loved Lily before he had become a man for Merlin's sake. He was not risking her life to prove that he could protect her against maniac on a killing spree. There were many other ways to do that and he could start by making sure she and his baby lived long comfortable lives. Another factor of the equation was about that actually (the comfortable part of the life). In the Potter family charter, it was stated very clearly that any eligible heir that involved themself actively in any side of any war or any bloodfeud was to be banned from taking the head of household position, in other words the Lordship. This had been done centuries ago when people used bloodfeuds as a way of forcing an heir into a marriage to save face and family name. Or more commonly, as an excuse to wipe out an entire family. The solution was a bit convoluted. But some ancestor had realized that if the bloodfeud was not with the heir or the lord of the house, the person could be officially disowned and unofficially supported by the family, thereby preventing the death of all the other members. (A proper bloodfeud could only be declared, accepted and settled by the lord of the house.) Thus they could definitely not access the family vaults. They also could not know how many family vaults there were. They were only entitled to the Potter member vault, which was given to each child at their birth and commonly referred to as the trust vault and was the property of the child whether they were disowned or not to do as they pleased. And James might not be a pampered extravagant prince anymore but his trust vault was not enough to make his precious Tiger-Lily and Prongslet comfortable enough.

So he needed out of this stupid war.

James already knew who to trust. Obviously his son and heir; Harry, his wife and life; Lily, and finally his blood brother; Sirius. After Sirius had almost died by his own mother's hand in the summer before sixth year, he had never returned to his family's home. He knew that his brother Regulus was safer, being a Slytherin, so he could leave him. That summer, he and James had performed a ritual to become blood Brothers. So really, he was James Potter-Black and Siri was Sirius Black-Potter. It also helped that James already had Black blood from his Grandma Dorea. After a whole summer of discovering the side effects of basically blood adopting yourself into another family, they decided to keep it a secret and not do it ever again with anyone at all. Who knew what side effects they could get from a werewolf and an unintelligent boy whose animagus form was a rat. They weren't racist or purist or even prejudiced, but anyone who became a Black through ritual would be weary of trying any ritual again. Their friends' characteristics were just excuses and they knew it. That was the last time they had thought only briefly through any ritual at all, and maybe that had saved their lives...

So James was also going to take Siri along. They were all a family.

James's decision was even more solidified when Dumbledore suggested that they leave Potter Manor and live in a cottage in Godric's Hollow which would then be put under the fidelius charm. After hearing Dumbledore's plan, James backtracked for a second, 'He should leave the heavily warded Manor for a place whose only protection would put his most trusted friend (brother) in danger.' James thought. Well that was it. The old man had gone senile at last. Australia here the Potters come.

James said yes to Dumbledore of course. Just because he was a Gryffindor did not mean he was an idiot. He had planned pranks, successfully, against Slytherins _**and** most importantly, _he had married Lily. Also _he was a pureblood_ before he was a Gryffindor. Make of that what ye will... He told Lily of his plans when they were packing. She was so proud of him they had to pause for a... reward. Afterwards, she had also revealed the many rituals she had been researching for their protection. (She _was_ Lily Potter. She had put up with Petunia, Severus and the Marauders afterall. And she, had married a rich pureblood heir. She was no gold digger but she was no idiot Gryffindor either)(No offence to Gryffindors). When she had told James about the ritual, he had gone white with fear, but consoled himself that in australia, there would be no need for it.

So they packed in such a way that all their valuables were put together in a single trunk(Merlin bless magic, and space expansion charms), and the things they were using for their new "home" were separate. The plan was to leave on the night of the casting of the fidelius. (Another ritual James had been wary of). This way, the house would be hidden and everyone would think they were in it, and their whole family would be out of the country.

James went to Gringotts and claimed his Lordships (yes they were plural) after swearing not to take part in the war but to defend himself and his family, and to produce more heirs. A lot of heirs... He then made arrangements to be able to access his family vaults in Australia. Sirius on the other hand went to his Grandfather Acturus. He was made to swear a similar oath (and listen to grandfather cursing and insulting his whole family, except James who was praised,) and made official heir to various Lordships connected with the Black Lordship. Before he left he was informed by a very proud and amused Acturus(who being the head if house knew all its members by birth or adoption) that the Black Lordships would have gone to James's son if they had stayed in England.

Finally they were ready.

Imagine their shock when Dumbledore suggested that Peter be made Secret Keeper instead of Sirius, _to throw them off the trail,' them_ ' being the 'death eaters'. They hid it well, disguising it as surprise at not thinking of this themselves, because clearly, something fishy was going on. The war had made every one weary of their own bloody left foot, and finding someone to trust was not easy. But they went along with it.

Immediately after Dumbledore had cast the spell and left with his *coughcreepycough* twinkling eyes,they had rounded in on Peter and forced him to swear on his magic that he had never knowingly and would never knowingly do anything to harm any of the Potters. The Lumos he cast afterwards was quite dim, but Peter was probably nervous and tired because of the ritual (James and Sirius shuddered) and was already crying for Merlin's sake. The fidelius had clearly taken a lot out of him. They shooed him out the door after that, so that he could get into hiding. The moment he left all Potter house elves were told to pack their uniforms and go to the Potter vacation home in Australia. They made sure to lock all the openings and leave everyone their farewell letters as well as some money (5000galleons) for Remus. They could not involve their dearest wolf because the old man had him running around the continent trying to recruit other werewolves. (poor Remus) Then together, Sirius and James both holding Lily's waist like they were both her husbands and Lily holding Harry, they activated their portkey to the Potter vacation house in Australia (which really needed a new name).

As the new family settled into their new home they did not know that they were really mentioned in a Prophecy, as they had defied a certain Dark Lord for the third time.

**_THE END?_ **

 

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Another rant. Hope you liked it. I think I'm beginning to fully understand the concept of plot bunnies. I thought they were just new ideas that popped up when one was working on a current idea. I did not realize that they were insistent insatiable creativity vampires that forced one to find solace in them when one was trying to perfect a new chapter so that they could suck out one's muses life. But,... I will keep overcoming and overwheling them.
> 
> Toodles


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